The 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup has arrived, as top-ranked host nation England takes on world No. 10 USA to kick off pool play in the 10th edition of the international competition on Friday afternoon.

Featuring rugby superstar Ilona Maher alongside several of her fellow 2024 Olympic bronze medalists, the Women's Eagles will battle in the group stage through September 6th, looking to first secure a spot in the mid-September quarterfinals before aiming for their first World Cup title since winning the inaugural 1991 tournament.

After expanding from 12 to 16 teams this year, the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup is gearing up to be the biggest edition of the international 15s tournament on record, with over 40,000 tickets already sold for Friday's blockbuster opening matchup.

However, Maher and the US have a steep hill climb in Pool A, with the US set to first tackle two-time champion England before facing No. 6 Australia and No. 15 Samoa over the next two weeks.

"Our focus for the first match of the [World Cup] is very much on ourselves and executing our game plan to put pressure on England," said USA head coach Sione Fukofuka. "We know they have big external expectations on them… so we are quietly going about our work, building confidence, and looking forward to performing."

Meanwhile, reigning champions No. 3 New Zealand will start hunting their seventh overall and third straight World Cup title in Pool C against the likes of No. 5 Ireland, No. 11 Japan, and No. 13 Spain.

Taking on Pool B leaders No. 2 Canada will be No. 8 Scotland, No. 9 Wales, and No. 14 Fiji, while tournament underdogs No. 25 Brazil will face an uphill climb in Pool D against No. 4 France, No. 7 Italy, and No. 12 South Africa.

How to watch Team USA in the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup

The No. 10 USA Women's Eagles will open their 2025 Rugby World Cup campaign against world No. 1 England at 2:30 PM ET on Friday.

Live coverage of all tournament games will stream on Paramount+.

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese is staying busy, announcing yet another high-profile partnership as she gears up to become the first-ever professional athlete to walk in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show next week.

The WNBA star will take to the lingerie company's catwalk in New York on Tuesday, October 15th.

"Stepping into a dream: From Angel to a Victoria Secret ANGEL," Reese posted to Instagram on Thursday. "I'm finally getting my wings — I'll be walking the Victoria's Secret 2025 runway show for the first time, and it feels like destiny. Wings on, heels ready."

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Hitting the runway is just the latest entry on Reese's growing resume, with the 23-year-old most recently stepping in as the new face of Juicy Couture and launching a signature shoe with Reebok while becoming the cover star of the WNBA edition of NBA 2K26.

Even more, she'll soon make her feature film debut, playing herself in a cameo in the upcoming political thriller A House of Dynamite, which drops on Netflix on October 24th.

But first, Reese will make Victoria's Secret Fashion Show history.

"Angel Reese, welcome to the runway," Victoria's Secret wrote in a promotional post on Thursday. "The first professional athlete angel... major is an understatement."

How to watch Angel Reese in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

The 2025 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show will air live on at 7 PM ET on Tuesday, October 15th on Prime.

Two of women's soccer's biggest stars are teaming up, with retired USWNT icons Alex Morgan and Mia Hamm joining forces to launch The Goal Cup, a new celebrity charity soccer match benefitting both the Alex Morgan Foundation and the Mia Hamm Foundation.

Billed as "two star-studded teams...coming together to benefit [the two] foundations through a day of competition, entertainment, and community impact," The Goal Cup will see Hamm and Morgan captain the rival squads in an "LA vs. San Diego" showdown at USC Rawlinson Stadium in Los Angeles on January 17th, 2026.

The charity match will boost both Morgan's and Hamm's foundations — nonprofits that work to increase opportunities and access for women and girls in sports, among other core tenets.

"The Goal Cup is about celebrating the game we love while creating real impact for girls and women," Morgan said in a statement. "I'm proud to team up with Mia, to launch the SoCal rivalry, and ensure soccer continues to be a force for good beyond the field."

How to attend Hamm and Morgan's The Goal Cup

Pre-sale access to the January 17th charity match opens at 1 PM ET on Tuesday before tickets become available to the general public on Wednesday.

Fans can sign up for early access and pricing at The Goal Cup.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is back like she never left, following up her brief post-US Open championship recovery break and booking a spot in the 2025 Wuhan Open semifinals by blowing past the tournament's competition with a straight-set victory over No. 9 Elena Rybakina on Friday morning.

With the last three Wuhan Open titles under her belt — 2018, 2019, and 2024 — Sabalenka extended her career tournament record to 20-0 on Friday, as she gears up to take on US star No. 6 Jessica Pegula in the semifinals early Saturday morning.

"Honestly, that's just crazy," Sabalenka said of her success at the WTA 1000 event. "I feel a really great connection with the Chinese fans, I guess. I feel like at home playing in this stadium."

Sabalenka and Pegula aren't the only big names advancing this week, as No. 3 Coco Gauff cruised past unseeded Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-0 to book her own semifinal appearance on Friday.

While the US star had little trouble dispelling her quarterfinals opponent, Polish phenom No. 2 Iga Świątek wasn't so lucky, falling to Italy's No. 8 Jasmine Paolini 6-1, 6-2 to set up a tight Saturday semifinals clash between Gauff and Paolini.

Sabalenka and Pegula's semi could also go the distance — Pegula is coming off six straight three-set matches dating back to the 2025 China Open, emerging victorious from five of them.

How to watch the 2025 Wuhan Open semifinals

Gauff and Paolini will kick off the 2025 Wuhan Open semifinals at 5 AM ET on Saturday, with Sabalenka taking on Pegula shortly after the first match.

The semifinal winners will then battle for the championship trophy on Sunday.

Live coverage of the semifinals and final will air on the Tennis Channel.

As No. 7 Racing Louisville zeroes in on a franchise-first berth to the NWSL Playoffs, the 2021 expansion team locked down a big part of their future on Thursday when they signed USWNT forward Emma Sears to a new contract through 2028.

"I'm so proud to be continuing my career with Racing Louisville FC — a club and city that have truly become home for me," Sears said in Thursday's team statement. "We've built something special here."

Drafted out of Ohio State by Louisville in 2024, Sears claimed the club's rookie scoring record with five goals last season before setting a new single-season scoring record for Racing this year, with the 24-year-old registering 10 goals so far in 2025.

"In her two years here in Louisville, Emma has quickly become a foundational player for this club, and she's only scratching the surface of her potential," said Racing GM Caitlyn Flores Milby.

With their star secured, Louisville's full focus is on climbing further above the postseason cutoff line, with Racing aiming to keep their current momentum going against the No. 14 Chicago Stars on Friday night.

Entering the weekend on a two-match winning streak, Louisville holds the edge over Chicago and the Stars' four-game winless run.

Even more, every point helps the narrow race to the 2025 NWSL Playoffs, as only four points separate Nos. 3 through 8 in the NWSL standings — with all but two postseason tickets still on the table.

How to watch Racing Louisville vs. the Chicago Stars on Friday

No. 7 Louisville will host No. 14 Chicago at 7:30 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage streaming on NWSL+.